An Assessment of the Tourism Industry in Huanchaco, Peru: Current Impacts and Future Potential for Tourism Development1
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An Assessment of the Tourism Industry in Huanchaco, Peru: Current Impacts and Future Potential for Tourism Development1 Tracy McNulty2 Abstract: In the summer of 2004 I spent five weeks participating in an ethnographic field school in Huanchaco, Peru, a fishing village on the northern coast. Because of my interests in applied anthropology and the anthropology of tourism, I chose to study the impacts of tourism on the people of this small village. Knowing that I had only a short time to conduct my research, I opted to focus on the perceptions of local business owners. This strategy enabled me to gain insight into what business owners think about tourism as well as the obstacles facing further development of Huanchaco as a tourist destination. Through informal, semi-structured, and focus-group interviews, I gathered a variety of opinions and suggestions as to how tourism development might help ameliorate the environmental problems facing Huanchaco, as well as how tourism might help offset the decreased income from declining fishing yields. Introduction negative impacts of touristic development in Huanchaco. I also wanted to find out what are the Before applying to Utah State University’s (USU) obstacles facing Huanchaco as it develops into a ethnographic field school, I knew very little about tourist destination. Huanchaco, Peru. I read the information on the USU field school website, which says, “As Huanchaco This project’s significance is that it provides an remakes itself as a regional tourism capital, this once analysis of the local tourism industry. As increasing sleepy fishing village is undergoing rapid change.” I numbers of tourists visit Huanchaco, the local also looked at a Lonely Planet guidebook, which population needs a clear understanding of tourism’s devotes two pages to the town. The authors portray impact on their community. This paper also gives Huanchaco as a pleasant, if somewhat boring, suggestions as to how Huanchaco might market itself destination: “Apart from walking on the beach and more successfully and how tourism might succeed in waiting for the caballitos to go into action, there’s not halting the current levels of environmental degradation much to do in Huanchaco, and that’s one of its in the area. attractions. It’s a quiet, easygoing place” (Rachowiecki and Beech 2004: 276). My project also had an applied component. In my meetings with local business leaders, I encouraged Based on these characterizations, I assumed that them to share what they perceived to be wrong with Huanchaco was probably a spot where travelers on the Huanchaco as well as how they might improve South American circuit stop for a few days to unwind Huanchaco so as to appeal to tourists and to bring and escape the noise and pollution of larger Peruvian greater economic gain. I think that by bringing up some cities like Lima and Trujillo. Because of my interests in of these issues, I helped to motivate business owners business and anthropology, and particularly applied to be proactive. Rather than simply talking about the anthropology, I thought that this would be a great various problems and challenges facing their opportunity to study tourism and the ways it can community, these individuals also proposed solutions. impact a community. At that point, I had no idea that I hope that in the next months and years they will Huanchaco has much more to offer than a white-sand continue to work on improving the environment and beach, excellent surfing, and cheap, abundant seafood. economy of Huanchaco, not only for tourists but also for members of the community. Soon after arriving in Huanchaco, I had several casual conversations with local business owners. Background Through these informal chats, I learned that the increase in tourism over the past 10 to 15 years has led Tourism is vital to the Peruvian economy. This to drastic changes for the residents of Huanchaco. For industry is Peru’s second-largest source of foreign my research project, I decided to explore what local income and an important source of employment, business owners perceive to be the positive and employing 100,000 people directly and another 400,000 44 High Plains Applied Anthropologist No. 1, Vol. 25, Spring, 2005 indirectly. Peru’s tourism industry is rapidly One informant showed me several Chimu and Moche expanding: more than 500,000 foreigners visited Peru in cemeteries just off the coastal road leading to Chicama. 1995, whereas in 2000, one million foreign visitors had If the INC (Instituto Nacional de Cultural) had more arrived before the end of September (Ugarte and funding to devote to these sites, they could become Pacheco 2001: 2). another major attraction for the area. The area around Huanchaco also has a great degree of biodiversity, Experts consider ecotourism, or tourism with an particularly marine life and migratory birds. Finally, ecological focus, to be the largest growth sector over Huanchaco has the cultural patrimony of the traditional the past decade. Ecotourism can include adventure fishing lifestyle and the caballitos de totora, the reed activities like hiking, mountain climbing, and fishing boats that have been used for centuries. If whitewater rafting, as well as scientific pursuits like marketed properly, these resources could attract birdwatching and ethnobotany. In reality, the majority greater numbers of domestic and international tourists. of tourists to Peru participate in ecotourism as well as cultural tourism, which includes touring archaeological Methods ruins and exploring native folklore (Ugarte and Pacheco 2001: 2). The most obvious example of ecotourism in I gathered most of my data through ethnographic Peru is the classic four-day hike along the Inca Trail to interviews with local business owners. I interviewed Machu Picchu, during which tourists hike high-altitude the owners of three restaurants, two internet cafés, one mountain paths while exploring various Inca sites along hotel, and one surfing school. I also organized a focus the way. group with the owners of two other restaurants as well as one individual who owns a hotel and a restaurant. Historically, the majority of foreign tourists in Peru Although I had intended to interview a few more hotel have concentrated on southern Peru, especially Cuzco owners, I eventually decided to focus my time and and Machu Picchu, and neglected the rest of the energy on the informants with whom I had already country. Thus far, tourism opportunities in northern established rapport. In hindsight, I believe that Peru have remained underdeveloped. According to a strategy enabled me to delve deeper into my topic, report written by two tourism and sustainable therefore gaining a better understanding of tourism in development consultants, Peru needs a second major Huanchaco from the perspective of a few key tourism destination to balance Machu Picchu, extend informants, rather than simply getting a variety of length of stay, and (most importantly) bring economic divergent but superficial opinions. development to the north. These authors believe that while tourism is not a cure-all, it could contribute to the My research methods also included some diversification of local livelihoods in northern Peru. In participant observation. Because I was investigating order to attract increasing numbers of tourists, tourism while actually living as a tourist myself, I was communities in northern Peru should promote the in an excellent position for engaging in participant archaeology, biodiversity, and living culture of the observation. I was a frequent customer in internet region (Goodwin and Nizette 2001). cafés, an occasional customer in various restaurants, and even took four surfing lessons through a local These experts proposed the development of a surfing school. In addition, I participated in guided northern tourism circuit that would include Cajamarca, tours of two archaeological sites: Huaca de la Luna and Chachapoyas, Chiclayo, and Trujillo. Interestingly, Chan Chan. Through these experiences, I was able to Huanchaco does not appear on the map of this circuit, participate in the tourism industry as a consumer while although the archaeological sit es of Chan Chan and the analyzing it as a researcher. In addition, by living as a Huacas del Sol y de la Luna are listed as Trujillo tourist in Huanchaco for five weeks, I made valuable attractions (Goodwin and Nizette 2001). The omission contacts with local business owners and gained some of Huanchaco in an assessment of potential tourist insight into the local tourism industry. destinations is telling. It reflects the lack of awareness of what the Huanchaco area has to offer. Discussion In fact, Huanchaco has great potential to become a Through my conversations with different business destination for archaeological, ecological and cultural owners, I identified several common themes. Each tourism. Huanchaco provides easy access to Chan informant thought that Huanchaco needs to attract Chan, the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna, and numerous more tourists, because despite the fact that tourism other Chimu and Moche sites located along the coast. development has had some negative consequences, High Plains Applied Anthropologist No. 1, Vol. 25, Spring, 2005 45 those effects are outweighed by the economic gains offset in part by new costs, such as a rise in the prices that tourism brings. The other major point that emerged of food, rents, and community services. Popular was that not enough is being done to protect the tourism areas tend to contribute to inflated prices for environment. My informants recognize that continued land or to environmental degradation, which can lead environmental deterioration would be devastating to to further costs (Chambers 2000: 34). Huanchaco’s tourism industry. They realize that they must act quickly to protect and maintain the beaches, Environmental degradation in and around ocean, and especially the totorales, or reed beds, in Huanchaco and around Huanchaco. Environmental degradation is probably the most The economic effects of tourism serious issue for the economic future of the Huanchaco area.